But Thanks Anyway
by herondalefan
Summary: This is a take off of when Shishido got back onto the regulars. FemShishido/Choutaro past one sided AtoShi


**Hello, hello dear readers! I know I should be posting the next chapter of The Girls of Ki-Rin Academy but I just had this little idea that just wouldn't leave me alone. This is a oneshot based on the scene in episode 54 where Shishido is accepted back into the regulars. I just couldn't help but put in a little twist so this a femShishido fic. I ship Silver pair so hard so this is a fic that focuses on the beginning of a relationship between the two of them.**

**Disclaimer: Shishido: Herondalefan doesn't own POT because she is totally lame.**

**Herondalefan: I watch, read, and love it so that has to count for something though! **

Shishido Ria had lost. It wasn't the losing that was making her upset as much as the trickery that she had lost to. That Tachibana of Fudomine had scammed them all with his unseeded school trick. What was a national level player doing in a school like that anyway? There had to be some sort of rule that was against dirty tricks like that. And now her neck was on the line. She had been kicked off of the regulars and had been replaced with Taki! Now that was an insult!

This is why she had been training harder than ever before. She trained till her body was black and blue with bruises from Choutaro's scud serve (He had winced every time it had hit her) and was collapsing from exhaustion. She was a dash specialist, her loss had forced her to see where her strengths lie, and her rising counter was now something to fear. She had promised herself that she would work to re-earn her place on the Hyotei regulars, and that's where Ootori Choutaro came in. He was a second year with a monster serve and the sweetest disposition out of anyone you'd ever meet. He had helped her reform her tennis into what it was now and she was about to prove that his hard work didn't go to waste. She'd win this match with Taki for the both of them.

As if to prove her point she found his face in the crowd and gave him a sharp nod that he returned with an encouraging smile. If she didn't win this it would be totally lame. _Time to show them the new me_, she thought. With an intense glare she walked onto the court.

_/silverpairsilverpairsilverpa irsilverpairsilverpairsilver pairsilverpairsilverpairsilv erpair/_

"You're kidding, Taki-san of the actual regulars…"

"Lost 6-1. Awesome Shishido-senpai!" Ria looked surprised at her racket like it was a foreign object. She knew that she had improved but to think she had that much was… thrilling. She had won the match for her and Choutoro; she would no longer be ashamed! Even that baka Gakuto would have to respect her again. Now if only she could convince Sakaki-sensei…

"What's with this ruckus?" Speak of the devil and he shall appear. The imperial looking man was peering condescendingly down on them looking out of place on the tennis courts. His brown suit was perfectly pressed and gelled comb-over didn't have a hair out of place.

Shishido looked him in the eyes and flinched. The man was giving her a look that was specially reserved for vermin and pests.

"Taki is dropped from the regulars. In exchange, the pre-regular Hiyoshi takes his place." Shishido felt as if someone had punched her in the chest. She had given up everything to become a better tennis player! Her Math teacher was on her case about unfinished assignments and don't even get her started on her English teacher. She may have skipped a few detentions so she could get more practice in.

"That's all. Now start your practices." Was it over? Would she never play tennis against decent people again? She had to do something. Anything!

"Coach! Coach! Why Hiyoshi? Why is it not me? The one who beat him was me!" She demanded in a furious voice. All of her efforts to be accepted onto a boy's tennis team, all of the headaches and promises she had made, were they all for nothing? She wouldn't allow that!

"You're making a fool out of yourself." That voice, the high and mighty Atobe. She had hated him since the moment she met him but they had come to a consensus. She would respect his leadership skills if he didn't try to make any moves on her as he had for their entire first year. After the fifth time of burning the piles of roses he had given her Oshitari had put his foot down. He may have stopped a civil war from breaking out between the male and female population in their grade.

"Atobe!"

"Even though your opponent was Fudomine's Tachibana your loss was unsightly." She cringed at his words. Too be degraded by someone you respected was truly horrifying.

"Coach won't use anyone who's lost before." She wasn't going to cry at his harsh words. Crying was totally girly and lame. She wouldn't break down in front of all these people.

"Atobe-san!" She internally begged Choutaro to stand down; there was no winning against the King.

"What now Ootori?" Atobe asked in his velvet voice. _Damn him_!

"In these two weeks after that match Shishido-san has been undergoing unimaginably tough training!" What was he getting at?

"And so?" Hard work didn't count where a loss was concerned. But Ria wanted to make it count. She would put down her pride for a regulars spot. She, for the first time in her life, would beg. Rushing past her buchou and friend she sprinted after her coach.

Faintly she heard Choutaro call out, "Senpai!" but she paid no mind. She was a (wo-) man on a mission.

Soon the brown clad back came into view and she stopped behind the music teacher.

"Do you still have something to say?" This was it. She fell to her hands and knees.

"Coach, Please… Let me play!" Her voice quivered and it was unusually breathy. Choutaro quickly piped up behind her.

"Coach, I have been senpai's partner for these past two weeks, I have seen her train to the point of bleeding! I would like to ask you for this favor also!" He truly was an angel.

"So Ootori, do you want to drop out of the regulars then?" A pain flashed across Ria's chest again. They couldn't kick Choutaro out because of her! Out of the corner of her eye she saw him ball his fist up. She wouldn't allow this to happen! Her hand immediately went to her pocket and pulled out a pair of shears. She had hoped it wouldn't have to come to this but she had no choice. It was time to kiss goodbye to her beautiful chocolate coloured locks…

"I don't mind." His response was the snip of the shears cutting through her hair.

"Shishido-san! Wh-what are you… Isn't that the hair your so proud of?" Choutaro said in a horrified tone. Her hair would stick out on the ends now (natural volume!) but that didn't matter (her beautiful and gorgeous hair was gone!). She stood up and stared at her coach, willing him to see how much that had taken her. She could feel the ends of the strands that had fallen against her ears (pixie cut it was then) and tried to get used to the new sensation.

"Coach. This girl here hasn't lost yet." Atobe. Emotions were roaring inside of her when he walked up and was in support of her. _Maybe, just maybe, Sakaki-sensei will_ _change his mind…_

"Atobe." She breathed out. _Why is he_…

"I would like to ask you for this favor too." There was a moment of tense silence before…

"Do whatever you like." A feeling of happiness bubbled into her and she turned to her now even more respected buchou.

"You've even prepared hair scissors. Did you plan on cutting your hair from the start?" The nerve of the boy!

"Tch. Shut up."

"I'm telling you now this won't happen again!" She knew it wouldn't.

Atobe turned and walked away leaving Ria and Choutaro together.

"Ah, it's good that you're on the regulars again senpai!" He said with a smile. She couldn't help the smile tugging at her own lips, his was just so infectious, but she pushed it into a frown.

"What were you doing baka! Don't give up your regulars place for me! That's something only lame people do." Choutaro looked at her slightly startled before his face fell into that kawaii smile again. On a whim Ria leaned forward and placed a peck on his cheek. His face flamed up.

"But thanks anyway." She muttered. Leaving the astonished boy behind her, Shishido Ria left the school grounds to go and find a hairdresser.

**I don't think that Ria and Ryou are all that different except that Ria is a little bolder. She obviously has a soft spot for her kohai Choutaro who is such a cutie! Please Review and check out my other fics if you like this one!**


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